Dispensing receptacle for coins



p 1,1951 J. A. GOODHUE 2,567,332

DISPENSING RECEPTACLE FOR COINS Filed Feb. 5, 1948 /a 22 9 gm 3% 3 i ii /-:HII ll 28 g. H 24 i: m ii w F\e.3 F\G.4

INVENTOR.

JOSEPH A GOODHUE ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 11, 1951 OFFICE DISPENSING RECEPTACLE FOR COINS Joseph A. Goodhue, Worcester, Mass.

Application February 5, 1948; SerialNo. 6,431

This i e tion relates to.- anew: and imp o d spensin r eptacl for oins an th rin al object of. the inventi n. sides; n the promi n. of a dev e which may e p aced whe e. needed, in a permanent location on a vehicle. for instance, for easy and quick selection of coins for use in paying road and bridge tolls and for buying newspapers, etc. and the provision of a device as above stated which may also be carried in the pocket or purse as desired,

t r o jec s of the. nvention. resid in the provision ofa device as above stated comprising a housing having an open end and means therein supporting a compression spring. said spring being utilized to press .a coin follower toward the open end of the housing, and including a plate substantially covering but not closing the open end of the housing, the latter plate being stepped internally for the reception of coins of different sizes and one of the steps being arranged at an angle both to the other steps and to an entrance and exit opening for the coins so that one of the coins will press against other coins at a point adjacent the opening to hold all the coins fixed in the device in such a way that small coins cannot freely drop from the device. v

Other objects" and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the device of Fig. 1, there being no coins shown in the device;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the action of a larger coin holding smaller coins in the device; and

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 and illustrating the rear face of the coin holding stepped device.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided a housing generally indicated at H! of any desired configuration or material. The particular housing herein shown is adapted for mounting on the gear shift lever of a vehicle or other threaded member, and to this end the housing is provided interiorly with a screw threaded bore at I2. However, it is to be understood that any other fastening means may be used to secure the present device to any part of a vehicle, such as the steering wheel, dashboard, or underneath part thereof in an out-of-the-way hidden location. i

The housing I is hollow as indicated at I4 and 6 C aim (0 33. 6)

a; boss, or the like It provides anchorage or a sprin I 8, located within e h u in h prin ein aeompr on prin n hav n a o ol: lowe ifl at the forward-end th reof, t e in l- IQWer being provided with an a u ly p sit o ed lip 22 for the purpose of providing easier entrance, of coins into, the d vice.

The interior IA of the housing If is openat the forward end thereof,this open end of the housing being substantially closed by a piece generally indicated at 24, this piece being of, a general U or horseshoeshape forming a finger opening 26 for easy removal of coins. The piece 24 is stepped as at 2 8; for thepurposeof receivingcoins of differentlsizes, the steps facing the coin follower 20 as clearly shown in Figs. 3. and 4. o Y v The final step shown at 30 is angularly inclined with respect to the other steps and also with respect to the plane in which the open end of the housing In lies. Step 30 is the largest step of the series and is adapted to receive the largest coin for which the device is made, the angle of step 30 being such that the step narrows down from the lowermost point thereof to the opening at the top of the device.

Referring now to Fig. 4, it may be assumed that a dime 32 is located in the forwardmost smallest step, a nickel 34 in the next step and a quarter 36 in the inclined step. Since the coin follower 20 presses against the rear face of the quarter over a large surface thereof, the extending end of the quarter will be pressed at an angle to conform to the angle of the step 30 thus pinching the nickel and the dime in the ntrance end of the coin holding piece 24, so that the device may be held upside down or in any relation desired and none of the coins will be able to drop out even though the opening at 26 may be straight sided and the steps may be straight sided along their edges.

It is also to be understood that the hollow part of the housing [4 may accommodate more coins than here shown and that the device may be made to accommodate other coins such as pennies and half dollars, as well as dimes, nickels, and quarters.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a housing having a hollow portion therein open at one end thereof, a spring in the housing, a coin follower on the spring, the latter urging the follower toward the open end of the housing, a. hollow element on the housing at the open end thereof, said element-substantially closing the opening, but providing a coin exit and entrance slot, said element being interiorly stepped at the slot exteriorly of the housing, the coin follower being spring pressed toward the steps, said element being U-shaped and the steps being shaped in conformance to the U -shape thereof.

2. In a device of the class described, a hollow housing open at one end, a spring in the housing, a coin follower on the spring, a stepped:

coin holding element substantially closing the housing, said element being open at one side to provide for exit and entrance of coins to the steps, the spring urging the follower toward the steps, the first one of said steps toward the follower lying at an angle to the other steps so that a coin located on said angularly disposed step will be spring pressed to pinch other coins on the remaining steps.

3. In a device of the class described, a hollow housing, a stepped coin holding element secured thereto, the steps facing the hollow in the housing, said element having a coin entrance and exit slot adjacent the steps, said element being of a general U-shape and the steps conforming thereto, said steps being of different depths, the smallest step being located farthest away from the housing, and a follower on the spring pressed toward the steps thereby.

4. In a device of the class described, a hollow housing, a threaded boss arranged internally thereof, a spring mounted on the boss, a follower on the spring and an element substantially closing the housing, said element having a coin slot, 3

and a series of U-shaped coin receiving steps in 4 the element opposite the coin slot, the spring pressing the follower toward the steps.

5. A device of the class described as recited in claim 4 wherein said steps are of gradually increasing width, the widest step being arranged at an angle to the other steps.

6. A device of the class described comprising a hollow housing having an open end, a spring arranged therein, a generally flat coin follower on the spring, said follower having an inclined portion at an edge thereof, a. U-shaped element substantially closing the housing and having a coin slot, the inclined portion of the coin follower coincidin in general with the open side of the U-shaped element, and U-shaped steps of increasing depths in said element, said follower being spring pressed toward the steps, the step closest to the coin follower being located at an angle to other steps, such that said angular step widens down from its narrowest point adjacent the opening of the U-shaped element'toits widest point at the bottom of the U-shaped element, whereby a coin in the inclined step will press against coinsin the remaining steps and retain the latter. I

JOSEPH A. GOODHUE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 481,523 Brown Aug. 23, 1892 845,664 Quinn Feb. 26, 1907 1,123,650 Anderson Jan. 5, 1915 

